Sutton retires as Greene’s clerk of court Dec. 1

A long-standing employee at the Greene County Courthouse will be retiring and a new face will appear in her place on Monday.

Margaret Fisher / The Free Press

A long-standing employee at the Greene County Courthouse will be retiring and a new face will appear in her place on Monday.

Clerk of Superior Court Sandra B. Sutton officially retires Dec. 1 after nearly 36 years working at the courthouse. Her last day of work was Wednesday.

Magistrate Patrick Cobb will be sworn in as the new clerk of court at 7:45 a.m. on Monday by Senior Resident Superior Court Judge Paul L. Jones in the main courtroom. He will fill the remaining year of Sutton’s term.

She started out as a deputy clerk in January 1978, became assistant clerk of court in 1985 and was appointed clerk of court in September 2001 by Jones. She was elected to the seat in 2002, 2006 and 2010.

A Greene County native from the area between Snow Hill and Shine, Sutton is the daughter of the late Wilbur and Leona Bartlett.

She graduated from Greene Central High School, attended East Carolina University, worked at First Citizens Bank and married Mike Sutton, who retired from the Snow Hill water department.

His stint in the U.S. Army sent the couple to Texas for a year and back home when he was stationed at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in Goldsboro.

When Sutton first became employed at the courthouse, she worked as a cashier and bookkeeper. But the job entailed much more.

“In a small office you have to be able to have knowledge of the whole office,” she said.

Every day presented challenges, especially keeping up with the changing legislative laws that affect the justice system, she said.

The rapid technological advance from paper to computer also presented a challenge, but public information has become more accessible, she said.

“The computer has made it more beneficial for the public,” Sutton said.

Court fees have escalated from around $20 when she first became employed to now more than $200.

Sutton’s job revolves around handling lots of paperwork, including estates and special proceedings, presiding over legal matters and working with the public.

“When a family comes in and has lost a loved one,” she said, “you get emotionally involved.”

Observing testimony in the courtroom dramas can also tug at the emotions, Sutton said.

A major change happened when the new Judicial Center was added to the courthouse building in 2010 and the Clerk of Court office was relocated in the older building a year ago in August.

The office had to remain open as the transition was underway, she said.

Sutton’s courthouse career has been fulfilling.

“You meet a lot of people,” she said, “And it’s very rewarding when you feel you have served the citizens as the clerk of court.”

Sutton said she plans to spend more time with her friends and family — including two grown sons, Scott and Blake, and two grandchildren.

“As I retire I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the citizens of Greene County,” she said. “I am extremely grateful that you allowed me the opportunity to serve each and every one of you.”

Margaret Fisher can be reached at 252-559-1082 or Margaret.Fisher@Kinston.com. Follow her on Twitter @MargaretFishr.